Month: October 2014

You’re getting married? Congratulations! It’s such an exciting time, and I really hope you get to enjoy planning your big day.

If you are looking for hair and/or makeup services in Rhode Island, Massachusetts or Connecticut, we would love to work with you. (We also go outside of those areas whenever possible.) You may have already started looking for a hair and/or makeup team for your wedding day services and found that there are a lot of companies to choose from. Chances are this is your first time planning a wedding, so all of the choices–for one vendor alone!–can be overwhelming. Allow me to put forth a compelling case for why you should choose Allison Barbera Beauty for your wedding hair and/or makeup services.

Before I get into it, I want to make it very clear that this post is in no way intended to insult any other companies, or imply that they are doing things wrong. I don’t know the inner workings of other companies or what their numbers are, and that is not my concern. I have had zero issues with beauty industry pros and you won’t see me hinting at anything negative on social media or a public forum. That’s not my style and it never will be. I have seen and worked alongside some talented artists and stylists, I won’t deny it. But this post is not about them. This post is about Allison Barbera Beauty and why you should choose us for your wedding day hair and/or makeup services. There is no disrespect or snarkyness intended.

If we had a mission statement–and you know, maybe we should–it would say “Allison Barbera Beauty strives to make every bridal hair and makeup service as professional, seamless and beautiful as it can be. We put our clients first and do everything we can to ensure that each person has an exceptional experience, both on the wedding day and during the time leading up to it. ”

As the owner of the company, I personally handle all client communication. Every phone call, every email and every text is answered by me. I create the invoices, contracts and schedules and I handle the complete booking process. I coordinate the trials and work with your other vendors as needed. Even though you might have one or more talented people from AB Beauty on your wedding day, all of the communication is filtered through me, so it is one stop shopping.

Am I qualified to do this? Do I know how to run a business? I can answer that without hesitation: Yes! I have been working in small businesses since I was 15 years old. My first business card–my 16th birthday present–said “Allison Barbera, Administrative Assistant.” I opened my father’s Massachusetts real estate company with him, then went on to be an Office Manager at two small companies in Florida and one in Rhode Island. In college, I majored in American Studies (basically Liberal Arts) with a concentration in Business. If you have any doubt about my love for small businesses, please know that my favorite make-believe game as a child was “Small Business Owner.” I devour business books and articles on the daily and I am constantly thinking of ways to improve the AB Beauty experience for our clients.

So what does that have to do with your wedding? A lot. Wedding hair and makeup services, especially when done onsite, require a ton of organization. We don’t just show up the day of the wedding, saying “Okay, we’re ready. Nice to meet you. Now who is first?” From your initial contact, which I always answer the same day (typically within hours, often minutes) until after I have followed up post-wedding, you will experience nothing but professionalism from AB Beauty. You won’t have to worry about your contract being received with no confirmation. Your invoice will be done well ahead of time, and your services will be scheduled so your best friend from college–who flies by the seat of her pants–knows when to show up. There are no surprises with AB Beauty. No hidden charges, no undisclosed policies. You will get all information up front, in writing, and can ask me as many questions as you want at any time during the process.

Any questions you have during the process, from “Can my mother bring her own favorite lipstick?” (Sure!) to “It’s two days before my wedding and I have a zit–what should I do?” (Salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide spot treatment and don’t pick!) will be answered quickly and clearly. I know that you have 8 million things on your plate. AB Beauty is not going to be the vendor who makes you wait several days for an answer. I know that that answer can impact other things. I realize that many brides are planning their wedding during lunch breaks and precious free time on weekends, so unless I am with a client or on set, I get right back to you. This is my full-time job. I don’t take days off, my phone is always on me and I work stupid hours so that you can get the answers you need without delay (or limited delay, anyway).

I’m not tooting my own horn here. I have simply benefited from many years of working in small businesses, and having a wealth of knowledge (via my entrepreneurial and administrative family) at my fingertips. This business savvy is, I believe, a big part of what separates AB Beauty from our competition. I am also a licensed Esthetician and have had a makeup addiction since childhood. I love doing makeup and learning everything I can about it, from the history of eyeliner to the current runway trends.

The other major factor that we have on our side at AB Beauty is the talented, professional and creative makeup artists and hair stylists on our wedding team. Every single one of them has blown me away with hair and/or makeup looks they have created and I could not be happier to have them on the AB Beauty team. They love what they do and it shows. The are not factory hair stylists and makeup artists, pumping out wedding updos and makeup services in 15 minutes. They are genuinely interested in talking to each client and creating the look they want. We have no singular AB Beauty look, because we take each person’s face, hair and preferences into consideration. If you see a portfolio for a company and every single bride or bridesmaid has, for example, shimmery eyeshadow, light pink lips, and a messy side updo, that might tell you that that is all those artists and stylists know how (or want) to do.

Because I take care of the business side, my artists and stylists are able to completely focus on your hair and/or makeup. They are constantly learning new techniques through classes they take, salons they work at and photoshoots they do. (I do the same, with some business seminars thrown in too.) They are professional and fun to work with. Walk into an AB Beauty wedding while hair and makeup is being done and you will hear lots of animated conversations and laughter. But never former-bride-bashing or trash talk. I made sure that each artist and stylist I hired was not into the gossip thing that is unfortunately pretty prevalent in the beauty industry. Everyone on my team genuinely likes each other and we work together seamlessly.

As an AB Beauty bride, you can sleep well (no wedding day nightmares!) knowing that I will be there to guide you from start to finish. I have been involved in several hundred weddings during my almost ten years in business, and I know how to make this an experience that will be easy, clear and will exceed your expectations. There really is no substitute for experience. Between weddings, films, photoshoots, television, commercials and corporate jobs, I have applied makeup to over 1,000 faces. I have encountered every skin type, color, issue, eye shape, brow color, etc. I have learned so much in the past decade and as an AB Beauty bride, you will benefit from my experience and knowledge.

I love what I do (both the business side and the makeup side), and I hope that comes across. This is my dream job and I am incredibly happy and honored that so many brides have chosen to work with us over the years. I hope you will too.

If you need more proof, check out our reviews on WeddingWire.com and on our Allison Barbera Beauty Weddings Facebook page. I also have a list of past brides who volunteered to be references, so I am happy to put you in touch with them too.

I can be contacted via email at AllisonBarbera@AllisonBarbera.com, by phone at 774.696.4546 or via our website.